Meet your bartender: January at Okee Dokee’s

January Young making her signature shot, the Ex-Boyfriend. Beth Rankin/cat5

Every once in a while, I just want to sip a whiskey in a bar. Not a nightclub or a music venue or the place where everybody knows my name, just a good ol’ fashioned, no-frills, guy-with-a-guitar-singing-country-in-the-corner-of-the-room bar.

Okee Dokee’s is that bar for me. They’ve got great local live music on the weekends, bartenders who know when to pour ‘em strong and an entire backyard at your disposal if you wanna drink and smoke.

And for the last five years, January Young has been nothing short of an institution at the Doke.

She’s cute, sweet and a ray of light in this College Street bar and she knows how to stand her ground when drunk patrons scream slurs across the bar.

Here are some of the reasons you’ll want a drink from January:

Being a bartender at Okee Dokee’s means that I can come to work at a place that I would enjoy hanging out at otherwise.College Street bars are stereotyped.My favorite drink to make is anything that is not ordered often. Pouring the same drinks over and over gets old. I like to make drinks that I haven’t made in awhile.My favorite drink is Crown, straight-up.I’ve served drinks to just about everyone over 21 in Beaumont but we see a lot of the same faces at the Doke. We are all like a family and I enjoy the laid back atmosphere that comes with working at a bar where everyone is familiar and friendly.My patrons may not know this about me but I live in a bubble and I dare you to pop it …The lamest pickup line I’ve heard is “Hey do you want to play carnival? You can sit on my face and Ill guess your weight.”The easiest way to piss me off while I’m working is to whistle at me. Do you see a puppy? No. Whistling is not appropriate!You can get on my good side by leaving me a big, fat tip.The drunkest escapade I’ve witnessed is when Taco broke the stripper pole on the party bus during our company Christmas party. Well, we weren’t at work but it’s work related. That counts, right?My favorite music to listen to while working is our live music on the weekends but if the jukebox is playing, anything but head-banging music. I’m a country girl.When I’m not working, I like to go see the gang (Taco, Darin, and Mandy) at the Doke, Chad at the West or Jen Jen at Thirsty’s if I’m in the mood for a drink.When I’m not working or drinking I like to spend time with my son, my brother and his wife and kids. I have an amazing family. Since I am in a bar most days of the week I really do enjoy a quiet night at home with a good book.The best time to find me working at Okee Dokee’s is Tuesday and Friday from 2 to 8 p.m., Wednesday from 8 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday 5 p.m. to midnight.